Gerard Leman

Gerard Leman (8 January 1851-17 October 1920) was a Belgian Army general during World War I. He was responsible for the defense of Liege during the German invasion of Belgium in 1914, and he was held as a prisoner-of-war until 1917, when he was allowed to be sent to Switzerland to recover from his ill health. He was hailed as a hero for his brave defense of Liege, which lasted until he was captured after being knocked unconscious during the German bombardment of the city.

Biography
Gerard Leman was born in Liege, Belgium on 8 January 1851, the son of a Belgian Army artillery captain. He served in a Belgian observation corps during the Franco-Prussian War, and he was responsible for the military education of King Albert I of Belgium and the Filipino general Antonio Luna. In January 1914, he was given command of the forts around Liege, and he had the fortresses fortified in preparation for the German invasion of Belgium at the start of World War I. In August 1914, Otto von Emmich's German Army of the Meuse besieged Liege, and the fortresses held out for nine days, when they were forced to surrender after the Germans brought out powerful Krupp and Skoda howitzers. Leman was wounded and captured by the Germans while unconscious, and he was held as a prisoner of war until 1917, when he was repatriated to Switzerland due to ill health. After the war, he returned to Belgium with a hero's welcome, and he died in 1920 at the age of 69.